


Love As It Is - Part 2

by Biodiversity (SoraSato)



Series: Overdrive [2]
Category: Is It Love (Visual Novels)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, F/M, First Dates, Flirting, Multi, Polyamory, Surprise Kissing, sexy texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:07:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24555916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoraSato/pseuds/Biodiversity
Summary: The kinky adventures of a talented young archaeology student at the Mystic Spell town full of supernatural creatures. She finds herself entangled in a polyamory with the Bartholy brothers, when the drop-dead gorgeous archaeology professor comes along to complicate things even further...NOTE: The character of professor Sebastian Jones shape-shifts into a jaguar as explained in previous parts;Bartholys became Bartolis both to reflect the differences between the original story and the fanfic and to enhance an Italian flavor of their family, Viktor becoming Vittore, Nicolae becoming Nicolas, and other minor differences;An emerging alternative theory on the vampire species origins (more on the subject in Part 6);
Relationships: Nicolae Bartholy/Peter Bartholy/Drogo Bartholy/Sebastian Jones/Original Female Character
Series: Overdrive [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1774561
Kudos: 2





	Love As It Is - Part 2

In the cafeteria, Sienna and Sarah were giggling at Sarah’s impersonation of a TV series character, when the largest quarterback on campus, Loan, found his way to them through the stream of students.

He grinned stupidly at Sarah and took a seat next to the girls without asking for their permission.

His gaze was wandering as if he could not find the right way to breach a subject, but then he looked at Sienna, licked his lips and asked, boldly ogling her and luridly grinning:

“People often see you making out with both Bartolis on campus. Do you have a threesome?”

Sienna, poker-faced, put her elbow on the tabletop, rested her cheek on the fist and asked him in return, looking him in the eyes:

“Why do you ask, Loan? Are you worried about me?”

The quarterback hesitated for a second, visibly disconcerted, and said tentatively:

“Yeah… About that… you should be careful with the Bartolis. You aren’t local, and maybe you don’t know but they have a bad reputation around here…”

Unimpressed, Sienna nevertheless asked:

“How bad?”

Loan assumed a mysterious air, leaned to her and whispered:

“Like _very_ bad! Don’t hang out with them or people will start thinking that you are… on their side!”

Sienna replied very seriously:

“Well, I appreciate you telling me this, Loan! Now at least I will know to whom to go if something happens!”

She spent another ten minutes carefully trying to understand what kind of information the moron could possess but all he was doing was putting airs of utmost importance and mystery, and the only interesting piece was his mentioning of some ‘Descendants’, at which point he shut up, looking almost scared, and hurriedly left the girls.

Sienna exhaled with relief.

“I was afraid he would never leave!... But what’s about these Descendants, Sarah? Do you have any idea?”

Her friend cautiously shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t think I ever met such a notion… Our best bet is going to the town archives and look them up there…”

Sienna sighed.

“As if my plate wasn’t full already! First, I’ll go talk to Nicolas…”

Sarah cast a sideward glance at her friend.

“Frankly, I don’t get it… you are all hugs with Peter, you brazenly make out with Drogo all the time, and you speak about Nicolas on a daily basis. Nicolas this, Nicolas that. What’s going on, Sienna? You are my friend, but this looks… a bit too much…”

Sienna laughed and shook her head.

“Oh, dear Sarah, if only you knew…! Why don’t you change your dance class to mine? We have such an awesome company there! Lots of cool girls and only a few guys. You’ll see that my social life is more balanced than you’d think.”

Sarah shook her head, unconvinced.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll do that in the next semester, but don’t you hear me? Not everyone knows about your dance buddies, and outside the class, it looks… You know, Samantha is a bitch, but she is not stupid…”

Sienna nodded, not worried in the least.

“I hear you. I’m a slut. Probably that’s the truth. My shrink always said that the hardest thing was to be oneself. Now, if you are still of a mind to be my friend, let’s go to the class, I’d hate to be late.”

They stood up and gathered their belongings.

Sarah decided to ask:

“Shrink?”

Sienna shrugged her shoulders.

“Dad assigned me one after I once pointed a gun at my mom. Long story. The therapy took three years of my life but now I don’t let other people that easily influence me and enjoy my life as it comes.”

Sarah shook her head. She looked slightly worried.

“Remind me not to cross paths with you. Now I start to think that a bunch of vampires may well be the best-suited company for you…”

Sienna smiled brightly and looked absolutely angelic.

“Come on, don’t look at me like I’m some cannibal. I learned quite a bit since then, and you are totally safe with me.”

Sarah sighed.

“That’s a lot to take in.”

Sienna smiled at her friend.

“If I didn’t think you could handle it, I wouldn’t tell you. Let’s go to classes!”

The classes-cafeteria-library routine took up most of Sienna’s time, and she decided to take a bike again to get to the shooting range. She gently declined Drogo’s offer to drive her in his car, waved to Peter, put on her precious headphones, and saddled the nearest bike.

Her shooting routine always followed the same order: first, the gun, always different, picked at random, three main ranges, then the rifle, his father’s favorite...

Sienna could never tell exactly why she kept practicing in such a manner, but since the exercise gave her a sense of utmost satisfaction, she kept doing it, without any real thought as to the practical application.

Today was no different. Shooting provided her with the focus needed to clear her head and to stay trained on her life goals, and she internally thanked her dad once more for providing her with such an excellent tool.

Thus, she saddled her bike to return to the manor in good spirits, collected and ready for any mischief of the vampire kid.

She put her headphones back on, and her mood improved still more, a smile appeared on her lips, and she decided to pass by the forest that stretched just outside the Bartoli manor perimeter.

While she rode, she sang along out loud her favorite oldie cover _Pendant que les champs brûlent_ that incited passers-by to either smile or frown on the young cyclist depending on their mood.

Sienna stopped by a bakery in the old town and bought a croissant on a whim and ate it with a cup of hot cocoa. Then she happily resumed her ride.

Nicolas opened the door, smiled to Sienna, gestured to come inside, and, as she was passing by, took a few pine needles out of her hair.

She had no habit of beating around the bush, so she started talking right away:

“Today, I’ve had a very strange conversation with a local bully, Loan. He maintained that there is a secret society of sorts here, called the Descendants, and that, quote, ‘the likes of Bartolis’ should beware their wrath.’ Could you clarify this to me, please? What should I expect?”

Nicolas’s face grew stern. He mulled it over prior to replying, then said in a tense voice:

“Thank you for telling me, Sienna. I believe that you are out of any danger since you are an athlete and you diligently train in firearms, but I would still give you a couple of lessons in self-defense… Are you hungry now?”

Sienna tossed her honey-colored hair and glared at the eldest brother.

“Will you tell me what it’s all about? Remember, you told me that I was now part of your family, is that still true?”

Nicolas put a hand on her shoulder and said soothingly:

“Of course, I will tell you, Sienna, if you insist. However, there isn’t much to tell. These ‘Descendants’ are sort of vampire hunters, but they also hunt down witches and other supernatural folks. By definition, you should be fine either way.”

The girl grabbed him by the arm and looked into his eyes.

“And what about you? I don’t want anything happen to you!”

Nicolas sighed, and his gaze instantly softened.

“Don’t worry, my dear. We are far from being defenseless, and now that you warned us, we will be even better prepared.”

Sienna seriously nodded and told him:

“I already had a snack, so we can start the self-defense lesson right now.”

***

If previously Sienna had had some free time, now it became evident that there was a necessity to cut down on some activities. Nicolas imposed a moratorium on their sleeping together because even if they did not end up making love it was still something of a night party with long conversations and little sleep. On the other hand, Nicolas insisted on regular massage and beauty seances, because, as he put it: “A severe regime necessitates as much efficient relaxation and additional comfort.”

He allocated extra funds for spa and Ayurveda parlor, made sure that there were fresh flowers every other day at Sienna’s bedroom and healthy, vitamin-packed food in the fridge. Also, she was now to move around the city after dark only in a company, never alone. Sienna vehemently tried to defend her freedom, but the only concession that Nicolas allowed was to be accompanied by any person that he knew, i.e. Sienna’s friends and the University personnel.

“This isn’t fun,” she grumbled, but the Bartolis soon proved it to be otherwise.

She felt pampered, joyful, and full of enthusiasm. She even still had time for her dances, friends, and other extracurricular activities.

Nicolas once more proved to be the organizing guru, Peter the perfect chevalier, and Drogo an ever-vigilant bodyguard.

***

Sarah watched her friend walk out of Drogo’s flashy sportscar and, accompanied by both younger brothers, leisurely stroll toward the entrance to the campus grounds.

It was as if an invisible line was drawn between the Bartolis and Sarah Osborne, for the brothers kissed their nanny goodbye as soon as they spotted her friend.

Sienna approached Sarah, beaming. Her honey-colored hair was even more lustrous than ever, her skin silky, and her eyes and smile cheerful and brilliant.

Sarah kissed her friend on the cheek and sighed:

“You look gorgeous! Watch out for another bout of bile from the likes of Samantha, she’s been increasingly jealous of your looks lately!”

Sienna hugged her friend.

“Oh, dear, you are the one outshining anyone in this town! Sam cannot even approach you for the fear of contracting an unflattering comparison!”

They both giggled and went inside.

*****

At this time of day, the library was quiet and almost devoid of students. Sienna liked it that way. There was no one to meddle with the books she needed, no idle gossip that was particularly irritating when rendered in whispers, no friends to distract her.

By now, she knew the anthropology section like the back of her hand and decided against bothering the elderly librarian to retrieve Claude Lévi-Strauss’s work from the top shelf. Instead, she took a well-worn ladder and confidently climbed it. Her attention was caught by several other titles, hence someone’s voice very close to her caught her completely off-guard.

“Do you need help, Miss Richards?”

Sienna gasped, sharply turned, forgetting that she was on top of an old ladder polished by decades of use, and slipped down from it. Books rained after her.

Strong arms caught her by the legs, and she found herself hugged by her thighs, staring down at professor Jones, his face on the level of her navel. The latter looked a bit shaken but was in no hurry to let the girl go, pressing her bare legs tightly to his torso.

She became fully aware that one of his hands was unintentionally gripping her butt-cheeks under her skirt. Their eyes met, and they both felt that at that instant, they weren’t a professor and a student, but simply a man and a woman who liked each other a lot.

Sienna smiled, never breaking eye-contact and stroked his neck and shoulders.

“You’re so delightful, Dr. Jones,” she whispered, grinning, holding onto him.

The man’s eyes suddenly widened at the realization of how it looked. He broke from under the spell of their touch and carefully let the girl down onto the floor.

To hide his confusion, he bent to pick up a book from the floor, but when he straightened, he could not help but stare at the girl, his senses suddenly awakened by their accidental embrace, his palm burning from the contact with the girl’s buttocks. His flushed face reflected fascination as if he never had seen anything quite like her.

As if on its own, his hand touched her shoulder and his head craned to stop a mere inch from her face. Their breaths mingled, and Sienna’s lips involuntarily parted, almost instantly covered by his mouth. His kiss was tender, trembling, unsure, and full of trepidating elation. The girl responded, starving for his touch, wanting him to return his hands to her buttocks… His strong arms wrapped around her again, pressing her to him… They swiftly broke their embrace upon hearing a creaking nearby. It turned out to be an old shelf creaking, but still, they understood that it was not the right place for such intimacy.

Jones quickly gathered all books, handed the Lévi-Strauss tome to the girl, climbed the ladder, and put the other books back in their places.

Then he jumped down and stood before her.

“I’m sorry for having startled you,” he uttered, watching her closely and trying to read her reaction.

Sienna’s lips curled into a soft smile.

“I’m glad you were here to catch me… and thank you for… the book…”

She waved the tome in her hand and glided along the aisle toward the exit, making a huge effort not to look back, but did not resist it at the last moment and caught a glimpse of him standing and looking at her back.

That night, she could not sleep. The situation in the library kept playing in her head, making her cheeks blush and her body ache. She was replaying over and over each sensation, each touch, each stare, and could not get enough of it…

Unexpectedly, a Viber message bleeped on her phone.

She took it, thinking of Sarah, but the number was unknown.

Curious, she read:

“ _How’s Lévi-Strauss going?_ ”

She caught her breath. Her usual paranoia made her wonder if someone had seen them in the library, and this unpleasant thought made her apprehensive when she typed:

“ _Who is this?_ ”

The reply came quickly.

“ _It’s Sebastian Jones. Your number is in your file, I hope you don’t mind I used it_.”

Still frowning, Sienna typed:

“ _Prove it_.”

There was a short delay, then a selfie of the professor with a bookshelf in the background appeared on her screen. A text followed it.

“ _When we scoped the dig site, you said you’d like to see it by night. Did I pass?_ ”

Then he added:

“ _I did not expect you to read my message until morning. I did not wake you up, I hope?_ ”

The girl was looking at the selfie. The man in it was wearing a simple tee, and it aroused Sienna’s curiosity because it felt so casual, so cozy…

She replied, smiling:

“ _No. I wasn’t sleeping. Nor are you, I see_ ;)”

She could imagine him smiling. The answer came after a small delay:

“ _Too few hours in a day. Damn creaking shelves_.”

Now it was her time to scoff at his boldness. The girl felt hot in her cheeks.

Trying to devise a reply, she got the feeling that her words would be very important for the future of their relationship. She looked at the selfie again. The man in it appeared mocking, self-assured, but clearly open. She appreciated his bravery and typed, grinning:

“ _Bad, bad shelves!_ ”

There was a pause when she felt that this experience was finally accepted by them both, that the underlying anxiety dissipated, and then another message appeared:

“ _Bet you didn’t have the time to find examples for tomorrow’s class_.”

“ _Are you checking on all your students like this, professor?_ ”

“ _No, just on those raining from ladders_.”

“ _Actually, I found only two examples and I cannot quote them, because I live with them_ …”

“ _Not three?_ ”

“ _Two. Drogo doesn’t seem to fit the bill. He is too… modern?_ ”

“ _Interesting_.”

“ _You don’t say. I asked Nicolas about the site, and he promised to find something about it_.”

“ _Thanks. I’ll owe you_.”

“ _I count on it_.”

“ _Should I be wary?_ ”

“ _You totally should. So, what to do with examples?_ ”

“ _I’ll give you more time for research_.”

“ _Ah, so you’re bent on me breaking something in that library!_ ”

“ _More like catching you again_.”

She blushed.

“ _Then, from now on, I’ll be sure to wear pants to the library_.”

“ _Please don’t. My eyesight improves when you wear skirts_.”

“ _Never saw you in glasses_.”

“ _And hopefully will never see. It’s a route to pot-bellied sixty-something balding professors_.”

“ _OMG, you still remember that!_ ”

“ _I have to. It’s very refreshing to know what people think of me behind my back_.”

“ _Careful, it opens the door to so many pranks!_ ”

“ _I’ll just know who the author is!_ ”

“ _Then I’ll be sure to wear a skirt to the scolding_ …”

There was a short pause, and Sebastian finally replied:

“ _Careful, the scolding might take too long_ …”

“ _I wouldn’t expect any less. Good night, Professor_.”

“ _Good night, Sienna_.”

***

The next day, Sienna woke up early but did not feel any fatigue. Somewhat nervously, she prepared for the day ahead and managed to dart outside the manor by using the backdoor. She was in no mood to talk to the brothers.

When Sarah met her, the girl could not hide her grin.

She looked at her friend and sighed:

“I’m sorry, Sarah, I know I look silly, but I just had a very… ah… stimulating conversation, and now I’m just enjoying the afterglow…”

Her friend smiled knowingly and asked:

“Will I be privileged enough to learn who the lucky guy is?”

Sienna winked at her.

“Of course. But not now. The class starts in a minute!”

Professor Jones’s eyes gleamed when he finally announced an upcoming Alma Mater’s expedition and explained the conditions of students’ participation. Fifteen best students, three from each year of studies, who would perform the best at the study dig site were to pass an exam before a panel of teachers to avoid any bias and then form a training corps in order to be fit for an ordeal in the mountains. Their training would include rock climbing, mountaineering, and a survival crash-course.

The audience roared with excitement, and the professor had a hard time finishing his speech because of the torrential barrage of questions.

Sienna was feeling invisible, and it made her at once relieved and frustrated, but when she caught a single glance from the professor, it told her all she wanted or needed to know. He was there, fully aware of her presence, his gaze direct and honest as if saying to her: “I see you.” Involuntarily, she felt her legs covering in goosebumps, the memory of his palms sliding along them lighted afresh under his stare.

She felt hot, briefly smiled at him, and hurried to the exit, mingling with the crowd of excited students.

Once in the corridor, Sarah asked her:

“What’s wrong, sweetie? You look like you’ve got your head in the clouds!”

Sienna shook her head.

“Ah, it’s nothing, I’m just thinking about all the additional training there is to squeeze into my schedule!”

Sarah laughed carefreely.

“But it means that we can allow ourselves a treat at the cafeteria! Let’s go!”

But her face fell when she saw someone behind Sienna’s back.

“Not so fast, Osborne. I need to borrow my little thing for a small chat.”

Sienna turned sharply and saw Drogo standing very close behind her.

He did not look happy.

He made sure that Sarah went out of the earshot and frowned, his eyes boring holes in the girl.

“Do you realize what Nicolas made us go through this morning when it became clear that you were gone? With this Descendants freakshow, he simply flipped a switch! Now I want to know what was that?!”

Sienna stoically held his furious gaze and let him finish. Then she opened her mouth to reply but Dr. Jones, having made it out of his class in one piece, noticed them and resolutely approached the pair.

“Are you all right, miss Richards? Is Mr. Bartoli bothering you?”

She looked at the man and reluctantly shook her head.

“Thank you, professor, I’m fine. It’s a family matter.”

As reluctantly, the professor nodded to her and, warily eyeing Drogo, said firmly:

“You can call on me anytime, miss Richards.”

Then he stepped back and unhurriedly left, visibly ready to turn back at any moment.

Drogo looked bitter.

“Ah, now I see it. You two are having a thing… I hope Nicolas will be as delighted as I am.”

He turned and left Sienna standing in the corridor and worrying herself grey.

***

Needless to say, the day proved to be a very long one. Sienna even declined Sarah’s offer to walk her home and hurried to the manor.

As soon as she closed the manor gate, Nicolas materialized before her.

He took her by the shoulders and led her inside without telling her anything.

But when they came to the door to her bedroom, he ordered her in a very strict manner:

“Lock yourself inside and don’t seek out Drogo. You’d better not see him at all for a few days. That is if you value your life. Do you understand me?”

Sienna nodded, her eyes wide with sudden fright.

“What’s happened to him?”

Nicolas sighed, his gaze became very tender.

“The same thing that happens to us all, but he is taking it badly, and he can do something rash and irreversible. Please do as I said and lock yourself up. Good night.”

***

Sienna could never stay in a bad mood for long. Once she woke up to a beautiful sunny morning and chirping birds, she smiled, stretched, and jumped out of bed. She quickly made her sun salutations, took a shower, and chose skinny blue jeans to go with her uniform sweater. Today, she was in a mood for beautiful shoes, and thus it required a car to take her to the University. She sighed lightly, remembering the situation with the brothers and went to Lorie’s room to bid the little girl good morning.

Her charge was yawning in her bed, and it made Sienna smile. Simple moments like these made her often forget that the little girl was actually more than a century old.

Lorie looked at her nanny grumpily and said:

“You made quite a mess with my brothers! Now they act all funny!”

Sienna sighed.

“I know, Lorie. I’m sorry. Can you tell me how I can help them?”

On the cute girl’s face, an expression of a wise old woman appeared, which always made Sienna’s skin crawl.

“You cannot. They’ll live it through, that’s all. They’ll outlive you, and you’ll become just another memory at the back of their minds.”

Sienna nodded resignedly and came closer to the girl to help her take off her nightie.

As usual, Lorie did not see any point in washing herself after sleep, preferring the evening shower instead. Sienna did not object, for she did not see the point of washing vampires at all. They did not sweat and therefore did not smell. Drogo had a rather distinctive smell of embalming incense about him, but the other brothers had to use perfumes to just smell something. Lorie smelled of old-fashioned scented powder, like an antique doll, and preferred to wear fetching dresses that made her look even more like a doll. Sienna wondered how Lorie was perceived at school. The idea somehow saddened her.

“Lorie, can you tell me something? Who would you prefer to play with, if not your brothers? You often come back upset from school. Maybe you’d like to do something different?”

Lorie studied her nanny’s face and said:

“I want to go to the mortuary service and see how they prepare corpses!”

Sienna was ready to hear something to the effect, so she solemnly nodded and replied:

“I’ll talk to Nicolas about that.”

Lorie laughed almost derisively.

“Do you know how many times I asked him to let me go there?! He will never allow it!”

Sienna winked at the girl.

“Still, I want to try.”

In the dining room, Nicolas was reading a newspaper, a steaming plate with copious breakfast beside him waiting for Sienna. Neither Peter nor Drogo were anywhere to be seen, but the blue notes of a sonata infiltrating from upstairs indicated that at least one of the brothers was in his room.

Sienna greeted the eldest brother by kissing him on the lips and sat next to him, ready to attack her breakfast.

“Will you be so kind as to drive me to the Uni this morning?” she asked him, taking a sip of orange juice.

Nicolas looked at her with a funny expression on his face and nodded.

“Certainly, dear Sienna.” He pushed a file toward her. “Here is the information you requested on the Muscogee site. I hope you’ll find it useful.”

Enthusiastically, Sienna opened the file and read it while eating her breakfast.

“Fascinating!” she finally exclaimed and smiled at Nicolas. “Thank you very much! I am so excited! May I share it with my anthropology professor?”

Suppressing a sigh, Nicolas nodded.

“Naturally, my dear. Unfortunately, there are several statements here that I cannot substantiate through other sources, but if my word will suffice…”

Sienna vigorously nodded.

“It will be enough, I’m sure. Thank you again…!” she paused and shifted in her seat. “On another matter. Lorie said that you refuse to let her visit a mortuary. Is this one of her tricks she tries to play on me, or an actual situation?”

Nicolas sighed and shook his head.

“Unfortunately, it’s true. Her infatuation with this idea stretches way back, and she doesn’t seem to let it go…”

Sienna blinked several times.

“But why don’t you allow it? With your persuasion skills, none would be the wiser, and if she keeps insisting on it, maybe it’s something important to her, maybe she needs to have some closure…”

Nicolas frowned and cocked his head. His clever stare pierced right inside the girl, but she remained calm.

He pondered on her words and spoke at last:

“You know, I’ve never viewed it under this angle… I always assumed it was just a quirk, a fancy…”

Sienna shrugged her shoulders.

“Would it hurt to check it out?”

***

The studies went rather well, her friends were very excited about the prospect of another fraternity party, and Sienna was secretly anticipating their nocturnal visit to the local mortuary. She brushed her knowledge on various embalming techniques and made sure she was prepared for things that could await her in that gruesome place.

They (meaning her and Nicolas) were expecting some cameras, and thus they fittingly dressed in black, assuming that they will not look too suspicious if Nicolas would not manage to disable all cameras.

But it went rather smoothly.

At the entrance, Nicolas met the night guard and persuaded him to go switch off all cameras. Then he went to the neighboring house and awoke the owner of the service, making him believe that he was making a tour for his future employees. Then he beckoned to Sienna to take Lorie from the car, and all three of them followed the owner into the bowels of the edifice.

Sienna found the smells appalling, but the two vampires did not seem to mind the stench of death. Lorie looked very collected and serious, meticulously inspecting the freezer and its inhabitants. She asked lots of questions to the owner, and he seemed delighted to encounter such vivid interest in his profession.

They studied the draining apparatus and canisters of formaldehyde, examined the makeup station and various props and tools, some of them making Lorie squeal delightedly.

At last, she was satisfied with the visit and gravely nodded to Nicolas.

“Thank you. I’m ready to go now.”

The latter smiled with relief and gestured to Sienna.

“Please take Lorie to the car, I’ll soon join you,” and he turned to the owner with a pleasant smile.

Back at the manor, Lorie seemed very calm. She turned to both adults and solemnly told them:

“Thank you. I will need to think about what I saw. Good night,” and she went to her room without any further ado.

Sienna sank to a chair and sighed.

“Wow. I wonder how I will be able to sleep after such a visit…”

Nicolas hesitated, then stepped forward.

“Do you want me to help you? I could soften the emotional impact and make you have a nice restful sleep.”

Sienna thought it over.

“However tempting, I’d rather decline your offer. If I accept it once, I would open the door for future such incursions and instead of dealing with these things myself, I’ll become dependent on you. So, I’d rather not open this Pandora’s box. Good night, Nicolas.”

She rose, kissed him on the lips, and went to her room.

The man called after her.

“Thank you for doing this for us and with us, Sienna. I do appreciate what you are doing for our family.”

The girl smiled tiredly.

“You are welcome, Nicolas. Now let’s see what effect it will bring to Lorie.”

She took a prolonged bath with all imaginable salts and oils, fastidiously brushed her hair, and donned a silk nightie. Then she climbed into bed and texted Sarah.

“Hi sweetie! If u’r not sleeping, do u mind 2 have a chat with me?”

***

In the morning, Lorie remained very calm and pensive, but neither Sienna nor Nicolas could find any indications that the vampire child was perturbed in any way, and they decided that it was safe to send her to school.

***

Samantha was prancing around in front of her bootlickers and animatedly recounting them something thrilling in the front yard of the University.

As soon as she saw Sienna strolling past them, she got so excited as if she had been especially waiting for the girl the whole morning.

“So, your Bartoli threesome finally fell apart! They got bored with such a slut and dumped you!” she blurted out, barely patient enough to let her target sufficiently approach to hear her.

Sarah looked around as if seeing no one and loudly asked Sienna:

“Did you hear a small dog yapping somewhere?”

Sienna, with a bewildered look on her face, shrugged her shoulders.

“No. Maybe your ears just played a trick on you?”

Sarah nodded wisely.

“You’re probably right…” and both friends went away snickering.

When they were already away from the Gautier clique, Sienna shook her head, looking concerned.

“Will she ever tire of barking up the wrong trees?”

Sarah cackled.

“Only if by magic you turn old and ugly.”

Today’s Myths and Legends class was especially fascinating, the professor having managed to find the rarest video materials of rituals performed in the now extinct tribes, his vivid narrative instilling complete silence and utmost attention of the audience.

Once it was completed and the stunned students began half-heartedly dissipating, Sienna calmly came over to professor Jones, handed him a file with about a dozen neatly written pages and explained:

“As you know, I asked Nicolas about the site, and he was kind enough to compile this paper. I hope you find it useful, sir.”

Jones nodded, looking benevolent but impassive – his signature hard-to-emulate professional expression.

“Thank you, Miss Richards. I will be at your disposal on Friday night if that suits you.”

A mischievous curvature appeared at the corners of the girl’s lips. She said nonchalantly:

“Actually, I wanted to ask you to attend my dance class tomorrow. We are always short on male partners, and I really want to get that dance right.”

If professor Jones was surprised, his face never displayed any of it and remained as smooth as that of an Indian chief.

“I will have to check my schedule, miss Richards. What time and where?” he opened his daily planner and waited for the girl to answer.

“4 p.m. Building of the Delta fraternity.”

He pointed to an empty line in his planner but did not respond right away, his eyes telling of some inner work.

“Are you sure, Miss Richards?” he finally asked, mechanically nodding to exiting students.

Sienna smiled and pointed to the manuscript.

“Read the paper. If you deem it interesting enough, then I’ll see you there tomorrow. I won’t hold any grudge if you don’t show up, sir.”

And she left, rejoining her friend Sarah Osborne at the door.

“I know what we should do!” exclaimed Sienna as soon as they reached the border of the campus. “We should do our homework in a boat! When I was driving Drogo’s car the other day, I passed by this lovely bridge, and saw several boats on the river! I’m sure there is some place where we can lend one for a couple of hours!”

Sarah screwed up her face, thinking. Then she ogled her friend.

“Wait, did I hear it right? You drove Drogo’s car?! How come you are still alive?”

Sienna grinned.

“Oh, don’t tell anyone, but Drogo is my favorite of the Bartoli brothers. What can I say, he has this bad boy charm…”

Sarah shook her head in disbelief.

“Ok, that may be true for you, but how come he reciprocates you?”

Sienna rolled her eyes.

“Ask him! How should I know? So, are we going to the river or not?”

Sarah grinned.

“Definitely!”

The day was warm, the river had the divine smell of the fresh water, and the two girls ended up lying at the bottom of the boat, drifting freely along the river, watching the clouds pass and dragonflies zooming about.

In a couple of hours, however, they had no clue where they had drifted to, and so, they had to roam to a bank and try to find a road.

Sienna checked her phone. There was no reception.

“Nicolas will kill me,” she muttered unenthusiastically and began scanning up and down the road for any signs of cars.

Sarah hesitantly looked at their boat.

“Should we leave it here? What if someone takes it?”

Sienna scoffed.

“In the middle of nowhere? We will just explain to the guys in the rental service where they can find it. Now, we’ll just need to use our newly acquired trail orienteering skill and get home before dark!”

Her friend sighed.

“Before dark? That’s too optimistic!”

Sienna shrugged her shoulders.

“I bet if we get close enough to the town, we will have the signal strong enough to call for help. So, let’s start walking!”

The two young adventurers set on their track home, and soon enough they spotted an old pickup going the same way they did. They started waving their hands and yelling, and when the truck stopped, came running to the driver.

He was a burly man with a malevolent squint that the girls did not like in the least, but they still asked him to get them to the nearest civilization.

He sized them up and unhurriedly told them that they were going the wrong way because the river made several twists on its way.

After another ten minutes of unhurried conversation, he agreed to drive them to the outskirts of the Mystic Spell. The girls climbed inside his dusty old rattler and sat quietly for another half hour. But then Sarah started displaying signs of concern, and soon just plainly said out loud:

“We are going the wrong way, sir!”

The driver sneered.

“Can’t be!”

Sarah looked at him grimly, and the driver just chortled and accelerated his car.

Then something weird happened. The man simply flew out of the car along with the door. Sarah jumped to his seat and hit the brake. She made a U-turn, and they rode the other way. When they passed by the man lying on the car door, Sienna followed him with her gaze and stopped looking at him only when she saw him moving.

After the matter was settled, she turned to her friend.

“Can you tell me what just happened? The man simply flew out of the car!”

Sarah looked at her and grinned.

“What can I say, there are many various creatures living in our small town…”

“And?... That doesn’t explain anything to me!”

Sarah sighed and said quietly.

“Well, I’m a witch. Please don’t hate me for hiding it from you!”

Sienna looked straight ahead for a few miles, mulling things over, her friend did not hurry her.

At last, Sienna said in an even voice:

“Well, if I live with vampires, why not witches? Who else there is in this charming town? Is Samantha some sort of magical nagging hag?”

Sarah smiled.

“Oh, Samantha is just a regular bitch. As to other… creatures, there can be shapeshifters, werewolves, ghosts…”

Sienna rolled her eyes in despair.

“Just what I needed! Sorry, Sarah. But this is… wait! So, you knew about the Descendants, didn’t you?! Nicolas told me that they were some sort of hunters of magical creatures!”

Sarah blushed a bit, her eyes still on the road.

“Well, if I’d told you, you’d started suspecting me, and I didn’t want that...!”

Sienna frowned.

“Then who is Loan? How did he know about them?”

Her friend shook her head.

“The way he was yapping about it, I’d say he heard it from someone…”

Sienna looked concerned.

“Can he be connected to someone who knows these Descendants?”

Sarah shrugged her shoulders.

“Let’s keep an eye on him…”

Sienna sighed.

“Ah, you want Samantha to flip over my alleged attention to her honey-bunny? It will make me more than just a slut! I’d become a sex-terrorist!”

The girls laughed and felt much more at ease with each other and with the situation. They decided against reporting the driver to the police because, formally, it was unclear who was the offending party and their hunch couldn’t count as proof of his bad intentions. Plus, the ‘borrowed’ car…

***

All troubles of the previous day forgotten, the two friends were enjoying the new level of their complicity and making new plans for uncovering the members of the secret society.

The boat was taken care of and towed away, the stolen car abandoned in the nearest quarry, and the homework done.

All in all, now was the perfect time to reminisce about their adventure in the safety of their Alma Mater.

Sienna felt her whole body buzzing with anticipation at the end of the day when the time for her dance class approached.

Sarah, seemingly unaware of her friend’s excitement, asked her:

“So, what are your plans for this Friday night? Any mischief in mind?”

Sienna sighed and frankly said:

“I wish I had a better idea. Now, I’m gonna have a dance class, and then I’ll probably go home. Tell you what, let’s get in touch tomorrow morning and figure something nice to do!”

***

The dance class proved to be very exciting in itself and a brilliant distraction for anyone bent on badmouthing the professor or Sienna. He now had a legal excuse to touch her, lift her, have her wrap around him like a liana, and address her openly without seeming too out of line.

After the dance class, Sebastian waited for the girl in the corridor.

She beamed at him, her cheeks instantly flushed.

The man made sure that all other dancers left and there was no one remaining to eavesdrop on them and said:

“Your idea of engaging me in your dance class was brilliant, bold, and very silly. It is good for flexibility and general muscle tonus, but very bad for the credibility of your grades.”

Sienna arched her brow.

“Why is that?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, sighed, smiling, and said:

“Because people are not stupid. I’d have to blindfold myself not to look at you the wrong way when we dance!”

Sienna craned her head to the side and looked at him with curiosity:

“Interesting. This could be a very interesting idea for a performance…”

She hastily fumbled in her bag, took out the phone, and started looking for something in it.

Sebastian observed her sudden enthusiasm with a mixture of disbelief, humor, and tenderness in his eyes. He was enjoying the sight of the girl, his hands still remembering how she felt…

At last, she found what she was looking for and leaned to him, showing the screen. The man unhurriedly leaned to her as well, a soft ironic curl in the corners of his lips.

“Look at these dancers,” the girl was watching a video with starry-eyed awe. “Do you think it’s possible to do the same? See, she just tenses her whole body, and he turns her in full circles around his body up and down, drawing an ‘eight’… You’d just have to sync your movements to the rhythm of the music…”

Not even half as enthusiastic as his student, Sebastian nevertheless took her hand holding the phone and pulled it closer to his eyes.

“That’s acrobatics, so that you know.”

“But is it possible?” she asked him breathlessly, acutely aware of his hand on her hand.

He shrugged his shoulders and shifted his falsely lazy gaze to the girl.

“Anything is possible.”

“Can you do it?”

“I can try.”

Sienna groaned.

“Why are you being so difficult? Will you do it?”

He laughed, released her hand, and patted her on the shoulder.

“I’m just answering your questions, my dear,” he paused. “But you are right, this gig is interesting enough to try it. However, it will require some training.”

Sienna’s fists shot up above her head in a gesture of triumph.

“Yes!!!... When do we start?”

Sebastian laughed heartily.

“Easy, young lady! Not now, that’s for sure…! I’ve heard of your guardian’s request to accompany you home. Do you want me to walk you to the manor?”

She shook her head with genuine regret in her eyes.

“Thank you, sir, but I already have plans for tonight...”

Jones grinned crookedly and nodded.

“Well, Miss Richards, thank you for being such a nice dance partner. Have a fun night.”

And they parted their ways in a very formal manner.

As if on cue, Drogo materialized at her side as soon as she turned her head away from the leaving teacher.

“What’s so special about the professor?” he asked Sienna, making her jump in surprise.

“Drogo! Stop startling me already!”

She slapped his arm, but the blond vampire did not even notice it. He behaved as nothing happened and squeezed the girl in a tight embrace, hotly whispering into her ear:

“I have every right to. After all, I am his body double when it comes to dousing your passions, little thing. You go to me when he carelessly sets you on fire, and I am your cover here at the Uni. You owe me big time.”

Sienna looked into his eyes and saw an expertly hidden pain in them. She gently stroked his cheek and said soothingly:

“Yes, Drogo. I know. Please take me to a club tonight.”

They kissed almost painfully, Sienna understanding his pain, and Drogo feeling angry and desperately in love.

***

“I want to assist a mortuary worker and prepare corpses!”

Lorie’s morning statement was like a bolt from the blue.

Sienna’s china cup clinked against the saucer, Nicolas put away his newspaper, Drogo curved his brow ironically, and Peter looked at his elder brother in surprise.

Sienna gently asked:

“So this is why you were so quiet these days? You waited for the right moment to break it to all your brothers?”

The little vampire nodded.

“I wanted them to be all together.”

Sienna looked at Nicolas and shrugged her shoulders.

“Can this be done? I see no harm in this…”

At hearing this, Drogo laughed aloud almost hysterically, Peter shook his head in disbelief, and Nicolas pondered on the question.

Then he waved his hand dismissively and replied:

“Technically, I see no difficulty…”

Lorie looked at him and frowned.

“I want to do it! Don’t tell me I can’t! You’ve been refusing me long enough!”

Nicolas hesitated, but Drogo got ahead of his brother and said to Lorie:

“Let’s do it once, and if you like it, we’ll figure something out!”

Nicolas frowned but eventually conceded.

“Yes, well, we can go all together, except for you, Sienna, naturally. We will not need you there. If this is indeed what Lorie wants, we could take turns bringing her there…”

And so this weird arrangement was settled.

The week rolled in its due course, highlighted by dance classes. Both Sienna and Sebastian came to love them because at these classes, they could leave all pretense and just be who they were, a man and a woman enjoying each other’s company. Their interaction was so natural that no one reacted to them like they were doing something improper, and no gossips broke out.

***

It was late evening when Sienna finally completed everything she had to do. She sighed with relief and removed the towel from her head, letting her wet hair fall to her shoulders. She was deciding on whether to watch a movie or simply fall asleep when a new message signal bleeped on her phone.

It was Sebastian’s number.

The girl eagerly opened the message.

“ _Have you had the time to go sightseeing in the town area?_ ”

The girl smiled.

“ _I just know what it says in the tourist guide… nothing much_ :)”

“ _There is a nice place giving onto the river, the view there is a panoramic of the whole area. I could give you a guided tour_ ;)”

Sienna cocked her head, trying to understand the meaning behind the elusive ‘place.’ Finally, she typed:

“ _Does this place require hiking boots?_ ”

“ _No. I don’t believe it does_.”

The girl groaned impatiently and typed:

“ _Still cryptic_.”

After a pause, he replied:

“ _More like evening shoes_ …”

She kicked her bed and sent:

“ _Ok, I’m thick. What is this place??_ ”

She could swear the man grinned.

“ _A restaurant_ ”

She gasped, covering in goosebumps.

“ _Are you inviting me to a restaurant?_ ”

“ _Yes. Why not?_ ”

She gave herself time to think by letting the phone fall on her bed.

This looked like a… date?

She grabbed the device and asked bluntly:

“ _Is it a date?_ ”

She held her breath seeing the service message _Typing.._.

“ _Yes_.”

She tossed the phone and covered her mouth with her cupped hands.

She whispered to herself:

“Oh my God!!!”

Her heart began racing, she jumped from the bed and began pacing the room.

Another message came, and she saw: “ _No rush_.”

She sighed and shook her head, murmuring to herself:

“And how am I supposed to sleep now?”

She took the phone and bit her lip. Her whole body was ablaze as if he just offered her to have sex.

Her mouth went dry.

She typed:

“ _I need to sleep on it_.” (yeah, right!)

“ _Then I will not hold you back any longer. Good night, Sienna_.”

“ _Good night, Sebastian_.”

Now she lay in her bed, in the darkness, with butterflies in her stomach. She sorely needed a shooting practice or Nicolas’s self-defense class to make everything clear. The man liked her, that much she could see. But a date?! Was he crazy? Or drunk? The memory of his hands on her body and of his breath on her cheek stirred her. Well, if he was completely sure it would not hurt them… Crazy… A much sweeter memory of their stolen kiss at the library invaded her mind, and she drifted into sleep with a blissful smile on her lips.

***

On the next day, Sienna was so engrossed in thoughts that she was almost on the verge of talking it through with Sarah, but considerations for the professor’s reputation finally prevailed, and the girl decided against taking such risk.

Instead, she hurried to her Ayurveda massage appointment and ordered the most sensual procedure there was, involving all five senses and two therapists.

When she exited the salon, she knew what to answer her teacher.

“ _I will agree to the sightseeing tour if this is not a date_.”

After sending the message Sienna found the ensuing interminable pause toe-curling.

At last, his reply came.

“ _If you say so. When will you be available?_ ”

The girl exhaled. This was becoming a dance with the flame again. As soon as he agreed to her terms, she wanted to devour him. But, hopefully, it could wait…

“ _Next Tuesday?_ ”

“ _Deal. I’ll pick you up at 7 p.m. near the manor gate_.”

Now the trickiest part was to live the whole week up to next Tuesday…

*****

At 7 p.m. sharp, the army green jeep parked near the gate.

Sienna spotted it through her window and reluctantly moved toward the exit. She decided to wear something that looked both casual and classy, opting for tight black jeans, high-heeled shoes (because the man was tall), and a milky-white spaghetti top. Until the last moment, she could not decide on the hairdo and just left her hair freely falling down the sides of her face. Having twice checked herself in the mirror without clearly registering what she was seeing, she exhaled, took her leather jacket, and went outside.

Sebastian was waiting for her by the car, an elegant ‘casual James Bond’ style pleasantly surprising her. A white shirt, unbuttoned at the throat, no tie, rolled up sleeves, classical grey pants, definitely from a much more expensive suit that he used for wearing to the classes, impeccable shoes… All this on his impossibly well-proportioned, wide-shouldered tall frame. This man knew how to make a lasting impression.

He smiled at the girl, eating her up with his lucid eyes and ushered her to the passenger seat.

When he took the driver’s place, she sensed his subtle woody scent, barely there but distinct enough to take notice.

“Ready for the drive?” he asked lightly and turned the key in the ignition.

Sienna laughed.

“I’m intrigued enough to be impatient…”

He laughed as he drove onto the road.

“I wasn’t the one to offer a whole week wait.”

The girl shook her head.

“If only you knew my schedule! I had to move around quite a lot of stuff!”

The man smiled again.

“I’m sure you did,” it was unclear whether he believed her but he was definitely giving her the benefit of a doubt.

They drove through the most picturesque sights of the wider town area, soft lounge music murmuring in the background, Sebastian commenting here and there, telling stories, jokes, and anecdotes, comfortably juggling topics with the ease of a professional entertainer (or teacher), giving the girl all his warmth and affection, but never once touching any delicate matters.

“And now, the last point in tonight’s program, I promise it has nothing to do with any date, it’s just a very well-situated place with an excellent cook. I bet you’ll like it the same as I do.”

Sienna could now fully appreciate this not-a-date when she saw a large but cozy terrace giving onto the most stunning view of the town, spattered with a sea of mesmerizing twinkling candle lights and garlands giving enough light to see everything around but not dampening the magical view.

The place was definitely popular judging by the number of people gathered here, but Sebastian had a reserved table, and the maître-d smiled at him like one smiles at a very good old acquaintance.

“Your favorite table is ready,” he announced, shaking the man’s proffered hand.

“I come here quite often,” explained Jones to Sienna with a light smile. “So, we might say that I just showed you my favorite haunt.”

The view was indeed breathtaking, and Sienna took her time contemplating it.

“It looks almost like Europe…” she sighed, her eyes dreamy.

Sebastian’s warm eyes studied her face.

“You must be missing home…”

She smiled, shaking her head.

“Not with so many things to do, not really. Plus, my… ah… employers are from Europe initially… maybe apart from Drogo… so I don’t really feel any alienation back at the manor…”

The next couple of hours they were exchanging impressions from their extensive travels and tasting the restaurant’s specialties, ending up stealing bits from each other’s plates and laughing merrily.

Finally, they took the long road to the parking space through the local park and used this time for more chat and laughs.

Once inside the car, Sebastian resumed his story:

“… so, there I was, my breakfast stolen by this winged gang in a matter of seconds, and the whole table peppered with sparrow crap. Who knew that I shouldn’t have fed that poor lone little sparrow!”

Sienna was laughing her head off until she remembered the owl that had been pestering her since day one at the Mystic Spell.

She explained about the bird and added:

“I never fed it, so I can only guess that some previous nanny took a liking to it. And now I’m stuck with someone’s pet!”

Unexpectedly, Sebastian’s face became serious.

“How often does it visit you?”

Sienna shrugged her shoulders carelessly, an owl being the last thing on her mind now.

“I used to regularly chase it away, so now it comes less and less often, once a month maybe.”

The man sighed.

“I wish I could see it.”

The girl curved her brow ironically.

“Don’t tell me you like owls!”

He smiled, brushing off his concern.

“No, it’s just sometimes my course begins interfering with my regular life… Are you ready to be taken home?”

Sienna sighed with deep satisfaction and nodded.

“Yes. It’s been a wonderful evening. Thank you.” Full of gratitude, she involuntarily stroked his hand resting on the shift stick, quickly removed her hand, and, a bit embarrassed, turned her head to look outside the window.

In the reflection on the glass, she saw the man smile.

“This wasn’t a date, so don’t worry, I assumed it was just a friendly touch.”

The girl lowered her head and then timidly looked at him.

His chiseled face was illuminated only by the glowing dashboard, he was staring down the road, completely serene.

She murmured:

“I wonder…”

He curved his brow, his eyes still on the road.

“You wonder how it would have gone on a date?”

Sienna’s cheeks burned, and she could only nod, her throat contracted.

The man shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe it’s for the better that we’ll never know. I enjoyed this not-a-date as much as you did.”

They fell silent, listening to the soft murmur of music and watching the streetlights go by.

Soon, Sienna saw the familiar gate and waited for the car to stop.

“Thanks again for this evening, it’s wow-factor definitely goes over the roof…”

Sebastian smiled, looking at her.

“My pleasure.”

She desperately wanted to kiss him, but at the same time did not want to spoil the moment.

The man turned to her full front, leaning his left arm on the wheel, his stare direct, but not intrusive and his lips curling in a softly mocking smile. He let out an almost imperceptible sigh and said:

“See you at my class tomorrow…”

Sienna looked at him in surprise. Was he mocking her?

He looked so handsome with his elongated chiseled face, raven-black thick mass of hair, shining aquamarine eyes under expressive dark brows, a well-defined straight nose, and a sensual but firm mouth that it was practically impossible to resist him. His expression was open but neutral as if he was accepting any outcome, letting her decide. The temptation had never been quite as strong as at that precise moment.

His gaze fell on the girl’s lips, and he added with pronounced insistence in his voice:

“I’m giving you a chance to leave this car now, Sienna.”

Flushed, the girl tenderly leaned against his chest, hugging him by the neck, kissed him on the cheek, whispered: “Thank you!” and hurried out of the car, trying to catch a gulp of fresh air.

***

The cold shower seemed to evaporate from his burning skin, his member agonizingly rigid. Sebastian let out a painful moan and gave up to his excruciating desire for relief. Panting and shuddering, he watched the streak of the white liquid run down the drain and at last exhaled.

His phone rang.

***

Upon entering the manor, Sienna could not hold it anymore. She rushed to Drogo’s room and opened his door without knocking. The blond vampire sleepily frowned at the sudden intrusion.

The girl closed the door behind her and began ripping off her clothes.

Drogo was observing her with a mixture of bitterness and triumph on his face.

She grumbled: “Just shut up!” then slipped into his bed and began kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

***

In the morning, the atmosphere in the kitchen was below zero, and Drogo was to blame. His caustic remarks and broad hints made it clear for the other two brothers that last night, their favorite nanny had come to him for solace and that she had been particularly hot. He was positively gloating at the others’ misfortune and was particularly nasty, but, luckily, he was interrupted by the sounds coming from the corridor.

The brothers stirred when they heard girly chirping coming closer to the kitchen and made an effort to appear civil.

Sienna and Lorie came in, both grinning. Lorie was enthusiastic, and Sienna was amused.

Both girls kissed all brothers in guise of greeting, Drogo making a show of kissing the nanny, but the latter appeared to have her thoughts elsewhere and told them, her eyes laughing:

“I’m so happy that your night visit to the mortuary was so successful! Lorie has been telling me all about it the whole morning!”

Nicolas reservedly nodded, and Sienna immediately saw the brothers’ crappy mood.

She looked at Drogo reproachfully.

“Was it so necessary to spoil your brothers’ mood?”

In her presence, the blond vampire looked much less cocky. He just shrugged his shoulders and turned away as if there was something interesting outside the window.

Sienna sighed and cast an appraising glance at Lorie, who was seemingly busy sticking her fingers into a rip in her toy’s belly.

The nanny said to the brothers in a soft, calm voice:

“Listen, guys. I value very highly that you’ve accepted me as part of your family and I love you all dearly. But it doesn’t mean that my body is your property and it certainly doesn’t mean that you can act like dogs fighting over my affections. Please understand it.”

Nicolas rose from his seat and solemnly nodded to her.

“I’m sorry we gave you such an unsavory impression. We will find the right way to react, rest assured. But please also note that we’ve encountered such a situation for the first time in our very long lives and, frankly, we are at a loss…”

Drogo snickered.

“Speak for yourself, bro.”

Nicolas cast his brother a long stare suggesting that the conversation was far from being over, and returned to Sienna.

“Maybe some of us are at a loss more than others, but still, the situation awoke the long-forgotten feelings of rivalry, and it is disturbing us. I hope this will be settled soon, as we have lots of other challenges to deal with, like the Descendants, for instance…” he resolutely switched gears, changing the subject. “We have to assume that an organization such as theirs infiltrated all branches of power, so we have to watch out for the sheriff’s and mayor’s offices as well as for some overzealous journalists…”

He managed to steer his brothers’ attention to the topic and gave Sienna the possibility to finally get down to her breakfast.

***

The next day was scheduled for practice with Nicolas, and when Sienna returned from her studies, she met him standing near a previously closed door on the ground floor and grinning.

To her inquiring gaze, he produced a silver tray covered with a napkin from behind his back.

Sienna curved her brow and pulled off the napkin, revealing a pair of last generation Glocks complete with extra magazines.

When she took them, Nicolas pushed the door and introduced her to the old and dusty ballroom.

Peter and Drogo were standing inside, wearing dark clothes.

Nicolas gestured inside and said:

“For a long time, we had no use for this room, but as we decided to make renovations, we thought that you might like to begin the process,” he grinned merrily. “Your task will be to learn to use both hands while shooting at several moving targets. Don’t worry, it’s hard to get us, and we heal fast.”

Sienna’s jaw dropped.

“You want me to shoot at you, guys?!!! Are you raving mad?!”

Drogo let out a short crackling laugh.

“Just a little bit.”

She turned to him.

“Was that your idea, wasn’t it?”

His eyes glinted in the dusk of the room but he said nothing at first, then he purred sweetly:

“If you so much as graze me, I’ll let you crucify me naked in the sun in the Uni courtyard.”

A shot instantly rang out.

“Be careful what you wish for!” exclaimed Sienna. “I’m in no mood for your jokes!”

Drogo was standing some ten yards from the place where he stood before and laughed.

Peter turned his head to the blondie, his eyes wide.

“Look, Drogo!” he was pointing at his brother’s side.

The latter touched it and felt cold wetness spreading around a small hole in his black shirt.

“Aw, you’ve just ruined my favorite rag!” he grumbled, sounding perplexed and disoriented.

Sienna lowered the gun.

“I thought you healed fast.”

“I’m not a movie vampire!” he retorted acidly, clutching at his side.

Sienna wanted to take a step toward him, but Nicolas put his hand on her shoulder.

Drogo laughed bitterly.

“You know me so well, brother! Such a pity!”

He straightened up and defiantly looked the girl in the eyes.

“You’ll never get me the second time!”

She curved her brow and raised both guns.

“Is it a bet? You’ve lost one already!”

This time he did not even try to move out of the trajectory, he rushed straight at her, jerking and wincing when bullets hit him. In an instant, he was right in front of her, his chest ridden with bullets, his eyes red. He grabbed her by the neck, turning deaf to all warnings of his brothers, and fixed her with his wild gaze.

“If you want to stop a vampire, shoot him in the head!” he uttered, grabbing her hand with a gun and pointing it to his head. “So, what are you waiting for? It’s either you or me!”

Sienna was gasping for air but kept staring in his burning eyes with a matching passion.

The moment was so intense that the other brothers just froze in their places, and the room became so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

Actually, they could hear the tiny tingling of the metal zipper on the sleeve of her red biker jacket against the gun handle in Sienna’s hand.

Finally, she spat out:

“Dream it! Keep on suffering, I won’t kill you for your twisted pleasure!”

Slowly, his hand started to unclench, and Sienna finally made a sound gulp of air.

Drogo waited for her to stop coughing, lifted her chin, and looked her in the eyes, his own eyes returning to their usual silvery color.

Then he kissed her roughly on the mouth, so hungry for her that his eyes started to redden again. He forcibly tore himself from her and, still fixing her with a mocking gaze, began backing away.

He spread his arms wide and, ironically grinning, announced:

“And now, let the real lesson begin!”

In the next few instants, the hall filled with loud cracks and acrid gun smoke.

“I’m out of ammo!” yelled Sienna, hiding behind a column.

“The second niche on your right!” replied Nicolas’s voice from nowhere.

The girl darted to the niche silently thanking the hellish exercise with Sebastian for the increased ease and speed of her movements.

But the niche was empty. Now a real rush of adrenaline flashed at her temples as she realized that she was locked in a room with three natural-born killers, whose hunting instincts could override their control at any second.

She made a long exhale and darted to the next niche, then the next.

The ammo was lying in the fourth one, and the girl barely had the time to slide in the new magazines when she saw a shadow lurking in front of her.

She fired, but the shadow dissipated.

“Your eyes won’t help you much,” said Nicolas’s voice in her head. “Now you’ve given up your position. Try to move toward the exit.”

Right, that’s where they’ll be waiting for her! Sienna tried to search the place for some clues then raised her eyes to the ceiling to see a large crystal chandelier. She winced. Such a cliché!

She found the rope that was holding it raised, tucked one of the Glocks under her belt, wrapped the rope tip around her forearm and released the chandelier.

The rope swiftly jerked her up, while the heavy contraption descended in a loud crash.

The brothers betrayed their whereabouts by moving outside the impact perimeter, and it gave Sienna an opportunity to shoot at them. Realizing that (with her limited options) the suppressing fire could not hold them back for long, she shouted:

“If any one of you so much as pees on the rope, I’ll shoot your damned heads off!”

She heard them laughing.

“That girl’s got spirits!” chuckled Nicolas. “All right, Sienna, under real-life circumstances, you got yourself trapped, because a) the rope can be set on fire, b) you’ve got nowhere to go, c) you’re an easy target there. All this just because you panicked.”

She did not lower her guard and shouted:

“Show yourselves!”

Slowly, the three brothers appeared from behind columns, but Sienna did not like how they looked: like hunting predators, which what they exactly were.

The girl made an effort to quickly tie her end of the rope around the hook holding the chandelier, always keeping an eye on the vampires below, made sure it held, then gradually shifted her weight onto the long end tied to the now lying contraption.

“You do not have that much time!” announced Nicolas, grinning unpleasantly.

Sienna bit her lip, wrapped the rope around her leg a few times, pulled out the second gun, and hung upside down. A few shots freed a length of the rope from the dead weight of the chandelier. The girl tried her best to affix the guns to her belt, grabbed the rope, turned again, and started swinging, pretending to reach for the balustrade of the first floor. But then, suddenly, she released the rope, breaking the window, flew out of it, and crashed onto the lawn. A topiary dampened her fall, and she even had a split second to draw out her weapons before she saw in slow-mo Peter pouncing on her, his eyes red, then Drogo shouldering his brother full-force in the side and leaping on her. Then the normal course of time resumed, and she pointed both her guns at the blond vampire’s face but managed to register that his eyes were silvery instead of red. He turned momentarily to throw off enraged Peter, made sure that Nicolas went to subdue their brother, and returned to shaking Sienna. He lifted her from the ruined bush, took her arm, and pointed her gun in the direction of Peter.

“Shoot him a couple of times, it will make him come back to his senses,” he whispered in her ear and practically made her squeeze the trigger.

A few shots rang, Peter shuddered, and Drogo turned again to Sienna.

She realized that she had an unpleasant metallic taste in her mouth and had a rivulet trickling from her nose. She looked at Drogo, but the latter paid no attention to all the blood she was covered in. Instead, he was feeling her bones.

After finishing the examination, he smiled at her and carried her to a garden bench.

Then he kissed her on the forehead and went to the gate. In just under a minute, a few police cars pulled over to the fence.

Drogo flashed a bright smile at the cops and inquired in a melodious voice:

“How may I help you, officers?”

The first cop frowned.

“We had reports of gunshots at your property.”

Drogo nodded, but Sienna rose from the bench and approached the gate.

“Sorry, officer. A stunt went wrong. I fired blanks, we rehearsed for a video clip.”

The cop nodded emotionlessly and asked:

“Do you know that it’s forbidden to use firearms within the city limits? Can you show me your guns, miss?”

Before she could reply, Drogo impatiently intervened:

“No, you may not see her guns, yes, she has the license, yes, my brothers are fine – see those two morons arguing on the lawn? We were shooting in our own territory. So, everything is fine, officer, no one’s hurt, we are sorry to have disturbed the good citizens.”

The cop frowned, still not very convinced.

His gaze dropped onto Drogo’s chest ridden with bullets, his shirt torn and bloody.

Drogo followed his gaze, laughed, and said:

“What can I say, the zombie apocalypse theme is in vogue these days.”

The cop looked again at the girl:

“Are you sure you are ok, miss? You look like you need medical attention.”

Sienna sighed tiredly and shrugged her shoulders.

“Yeah, like I said, a stunt went wrong. I keep failing at performing the ‘eight’ figure.”

She calmly wiped her nose and looked at the cop.

“I’m fine, officers. Life happens.”

The cop was ready to let them off the hook but decided to ask one last question:

“So, you are the new nanny here, right?”

“Yes.”

“And where is your charge?”

The thing was, Sienna had no idea where Lorie was, but she replied without batting an eye:

“At the friends. She’ll be home soon, so, if you don’t have any other questions, officer, I’d rather go make myself presentable.”

The cops nodded and made to leave.

Drogo looked at Sienna with appreciation.

“You are one brave little fighter, my sweetness. Let me carry you to your room…”

Contrary to all expectations, Drogo made the perfect nurse: he took off the girl’s clothes, cleaned, and dressed the wounds not even once displaying any sign of his condition. Then he washed the girl’s body with a sponge, explaining that it would be dangerous to heat her up now.

“But some coolness for your bruises will be just right,” he grinned at her, putting the palm of his hand to her aching nape. Sienna moaned and half-closed her eyes. The adrenaline rush wore off, and now she was badly shaking, her entire body sore.

“It got out of hand,” she murmured, frowning. “Now I’m gonna be sleeping with those Glocks under my pillow…”

The vampire chuckled and caressed her shivering body.

“If that makes you happy. How else could you understand what you are standing up against? At least now you have nothing to fear from the Descendants. If they are humans, you stand a good chance against them.”

“But why should I be involved at all?” winced Sienna, touching her throat. “It’s not them but you almost crushed my windpipe.”

Drogo sighed and leaned to kiss her throat.

“I am crazy about you…” he whispered, pressing his lips to her skin. “And it makes me mad to think that you could belong to another man. All the more because you are fragile and short-lived, and I don’t have much time with you.”

Sienna sighed.

“So, you wanted to kill me?”

“Yes. I was desperate. I still am.”

“Nicolas seemed to allude to your wish to turn me?”

Drogo hesitated, then explained:

“Yes, I had this idea but… Thing is… We are not attracted to female vampires so much, we are both sterile, remember? So that’s why female vampires fall in love with regular men, and we…”

He did not finish the sentence, but Sienna understood.

She nodded, then looked him right in the eyes and said in a low but very determined voice:

“If you ever decide to kill me again, you’d better go all the way through, or I’ll shoot you in your sleep for bruising my neck! If you turn me, I’ll have all eternity to destroy you!”

Drogo nodded and smiled to her tenderly as if she just said the most pleasant thing.

A knock on the door interrupted their exchange of pleasantries.

Nicolas delicately entered Sienna’s bedroom and shot Drogo a reproachful glare.

Then he turned to the girl and said:

“Dear Sienna, I must apologize for us all and for myself personally. I guess I underestimated you, we all did. And it got out of hand. Let me assure you that you were not in any real danger from us, even our red eyes are not an indicator of real danger for you…”

The girl suddenly got angry.

“You’ve scared me to death! I just realized I am living under one roof with three, no, four tigers, to whom I’m just food! The more I resist, the better, the funnier is the hunt!”

She even started to lift herself from the bed, but her strength was sapped, and she fell back on the pillows.

Nicolas looked devastated.

He sighed deeply and uttered soothingly:

“I just hope that we’ll be able to talk again when you feel better. I will drive you tomorrow morning for a CT-scan just to be on the safe side. Do you want Drogo to leave you or stay?”

Sienna looked at Drogo, hesitated, and replied:

“He may stay.”

***

The morning proved to be dull and tense.

Sienna woke up after an uneasy and restless night with her body aching, and even the sight of a very docile Drogo beside her did not lift her mood. The vampire was carefully watching her, without any attempt at striking a conversation, and when Sienna suddenly saw red streaks on his face and wanted to touch him, he turned away and zoomed out of her room.

Something in these red streaks slightly perturbed her and stirred her memory, so, the girl made a mental note to follow up on this phenomenon.

When she scrambled to her feet and went to see Lorie, the little cutie was nowhere in sight. There was no Peter in sight either, and the manor was as silent as a grave.

She sighed, returned to her room, put on the uniform, grabbed her bag, and went downstairs.

Nicolas rose from his chair and reservedly nodded to her, gesturing to the impeccably served plate on the table.

While she ate, the eldest brother stayed silent. When she finished eating, he asked softly:

“Are you ready to go to the hospital?”

Sienna nodded grimly.

“After classes. Pick me up at 3:30 p.m.”

Nicolas opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it and just sighed.

Sienna stood up, went to the door, grabbed the key to Drogo’s car, and took off.

Sarah was shocked by Sienna’s look.

“Why on earth have you come to classes today?! You should be at home lying in your bed! What happened?!”

Sienna thought it over how to better put it for her vampire hating friend.

Finally, she said:

“A stunt went wrong. Never swing on a chandelier, my friend.”

Sarah frowned.

“What stunt?! What chandelier?! Have you got a death wish?!”

Sienna shook her head and pulled a face:

“Sometimes I wonder…”

Her friend was beyond herself with worry.

“Ok, sweetie, if you do not stop this, like, right away, I’ll go to the Bartolis, pack your things, trash their sad mausoleum and get you outta there in no time! Do you hear me?!”

Sienna wrinkled her nose.

“Stop fretting, Sarah, it’s just a few bruises and cuts…”

Her friend lowered her voice and retorted in a hissing whisper:

“A few cuts in a house full of blood-sucking creatures?! You are nuts!!!”

Sienna rolled her eyes.

“I also happen to have my period every month there.”

Sarah went almost bluish.

“Jesus! I did not even think about that!!! Sienna, that’s dangerous!”

This instant, Samantha appeared at their side, saving Sienna from further bickering with her friend.

“Oh my! Is that the works of your boyfriend or your other boyfriend? Anyway, congratulations on contracting such gentlemen! Hope one of them beats you to a pulp next time!”

Sarah opened her mouth in disbelief that someone could be so mean.

Sienna just grinned at Samantha and replied:

“Thank you for saving me from arguing with my friend! I would have never imagined it possible, but here you go!”

Samantha’s eyes widened, she exclaimed: “What a nutjob!” and quickly retreated as if fearing contamination.

Sienna laughed in her wake and picked up her bag.

“I’m going to the library. I’ve got a nagging feeling that I read something curious but I cannot remember what it was…”

Sarah nodded.

“Let’s go together, I need some reference for my paper…”

Sienna sighed.

“If you promise me not to nag me any more…”

But on their way to the library, Sarah still had that disconsolate look whenever she laid her eyes on Sienna’s cuts and bruises, so her friend finally snapped and impatiently grumbled:

“Knock it off, will you! If you cannot do anything about it, at least stop looking at me this way!”

Sarah thought it over, then pensively said:

“Actually, I remember memorizing this spell…”

Sienna looked at the friend owlishly, but then slapped her forehead.

“I totally forgot! Sorry, it will take some time to get used to the fact that my friend is so… special!”

Sarah grinned and dragged Sienna into an empty classroom.

“It will take about a minute, just don’t remove band-aids until you get home!”

In the library, Sienna was rummaging through the list of books that she had already borrowed.

“What could it be, what could it be…” she murmured to herself eyeing warily the titles. Finally, she decided that the Spanish chronicler Fernando Montesinos would be a good start. He was known for fantastical allegations concerning Mesoamerican cultures, and it was the first book she read for the Myths and Legends class.

Cursorily, she scanned through the pages, and then it hit her. One of the Inca rulers’ names was Yahuar Vakak or Tears of Blood…

Sienna frowned. It couldn’t be, could it? Drogo was the youngest of his vampire brothers, but if he cried with blood, so could they, presumably… Does it make this Inca ruler one of them?

She thought it over. If she were to investigate further on the subject, she should do it carefully…

After the classes, Sienna said a warm goodbye to Sarah, looked at the sky, and suddenly felt that she didn’t want any hospitals, she just wanted to drive! She didn’t care how she looked with her now useless band-aids, all that meant to her at the moment was the limitless sky ahead and wind in her face.

So, she texted Nicolas, canceling the appointment, then thought it through and added: “Prepare the room and two .38 with six magazines for tonight. Thanks.”

The engine of the sportscar revved like a blazing tornado under the hood, and the road winded gently along sloping hills, through the woods, kissed the riverbank, and hurried through the vast fields and orchards.

Sienna checked the gas tank and smirked: by the time she would return home it would be empty. She felt strange satisfaction at the thought of pushing the vampire brothers to the limits. Maybe she really had a death-wish?

When the daylight began fading, she made a U-turn and took a road leading back to the town.

Sienna left the car near the garage and went inside.

Nicolas was pacing up and down the hall, but when the girl closed the door behind her, he stopped and looked at her with a tormented expression on his face.

She glanced around, saw two polished Glocks along with magazines on the plate, smiled, and went straight to take them. Only after that did she turn to Nicolas and nodded:

“I was this close to ask for two .45 to rip your bodies to shreds, but it would do too much damage to the walls. You and your Descendant paranoia got me there, so let’s do it properly. All in all, it was me who initially sparked this paranoia with the silly school rumors.”

Nicolas looked collected when he nodded and replied:

“Last time you panicked and it almost killed you. Remember, tiger tamers are much smaller and weaker than tigers, but still, they win them over with their sangfroid. If you behave like prey, that’s what you’ll become. At any moment you can say “Stop” and, if someone disobeys after that, you have the right to shoot them in the head. Understood?”

Sienna sighed.

“Will there be additional ammo somewhere?”

“Yes. You’ll have to find it yourself. But I suggest you say “Stop” before you run out of it.”

The girl sharply took in air and exclaimed:

“Let’s run!”

***


End file.
